Your maximum heart rate typically decreases with age.
BPM stands for beat per minute, which usually refers to your target heart rate. The higher your heart rate, the greater effort your body puts forth. However, you should measure your target heart rate as a percentage of your maximum heart rate. Knowing your target heart rate helps you to pace yourself so you can sustain your exercise for a longer period of time. For example, if you are just starting an exercise program and you sprint down the street, chances are you're going to be exhausted very quickly.
Instructions
1. Subtract your age from 220 to find your approximate maximum heart rate. For example, if you are 56 years old, subtract 56 from 220 to get 164 as your maximum heart rate.
2. Multiply your maximum heart rate by the lower end of your target workout percentage. According to the American Heart Association, a lower end target equals 50 percent of your heart rate. In this example, multiply 164 by 0.5 to get 82 as your lower BPM.
3. Multiply your maximum heart rate by the upper end of your target workout percentage. According to the American Heart Association, 75 percent is usually the higher end, but if you have been exercising for at least six months, you may be able to comfortably exercise at 85 percent. In this example, find your 75 percent BPM by multiplying 164 by 0.75 to get 123 BPM. If you wanted to go for 85 percent, multiply 164 by 0.85 to get 139.4 BPM.
Tags: heart rate, maximum heart, maximum heart rate, your target, target heart, target heart rate, your maximum heart